A Hero's Shame
by Kanna37
Summary: Link's shame for his grandstanding behavior in the Temple of Souls meets up with Zelda's determination to absolve him of the mistake. Guess who wins?


**A Hero's Shame**

**~oOo~**

A billion stars shone brilliantly across practically every available bit of sky, and the late spring midnight air was just warm enough to rest outside comfortably – a good night for stargazing, if one were so inclined.

It was the kind of night that would have absolutely _breathed _a drowsy sort of contentment - if it weren't for the fact that Hyrule was at war. It was that same war, its consequences, and his own recent actions that were at the center of a certain young Hero's angst-filled introspection, and thus, the night's beauty was completely lost to him.

He was an idiot. A thrice-damned _fool. _An egocentric that had nearly cost his people not only Hyrule itself, but the life of its beautiful ruler – she who he know knew was their beloved goddess, Hylia, in mortal form.

From the instant he'd seen the princess leaning over the castle's crenelated walls just before Cia's opening assault, he'd wanted to protect her forever – the call had been high and bright inside him, and Link had been a captivated young man from that instant on, just like he had been in all his lives. That had given him the courage and fortitude to take up his lowly trainee sword, and fight his way through the enemies that had literally appeared on the horizon only moments after he'd laid eyes on her. Even the elite troops were falling to the swarming hordes and impossible odds, but he'd refused to let that stop him. He _couldn't _let that stop him, ever. She was his princess, his liege-woman, and he'd _had to protect her._

That was all well and good, the way it was _supposed to be_, right?

Except... he hadn't. The princess had been forced to pull a disappearing act to escape the enemy wizard's clutches, and then yesterday at the Temple of Souls... _yesterday..._

So now, all he could feel was a terrible sort of shame, though he didn't let anyone else see that, keeping his bearing in front of the princess, and their allies. She shouldn't have to apologize to the others on his behalf because he was becoming a loose canon with emotional problems, _and_ a liability to them and their cause with his overweening arrogance.

She shouldn't be having to apologize at all.

_My princess... _

He had failed her, and there was no kind of excuse for that.

_Damn me to the lowest depths of the dark world if I __ever__ do it again. _

His expression, already grim, darkened even further, and his eyes showed a marked dislike for himself at the current time. He was frustrated, his mind all over the place, rambling and chaotic and barely making any sense.

He had let himself get caught up in the excitement of drawing the Master Sword – again, and for the first time all at once – had gotten swept into the high of battle, and the joy of raising the sword once more against their ancient enemy. (And yes – he had been quite shocked to realize that the blue, feminine being he'd come back from Skyloft with was the sentient spirit of the Master Sword, only _before_ she became said sword. It did sort of make sense of her insistence on calling him 'master', though.) Forever enshrined inside the blade now, she had been singing her own bright paean of happiness at seeing him again since the moment he'd wrapped his hand around her hilt, and drawn her forth from the Sacred Pedestal.

Her crystalline voice muddled his thinking, left him wanting nothing more than to be drawn into her song and revel in the familiar dance battle was for him. He could feel her, deep down, right at the line where heart becomes soul, touching his mind and thrumming calming energies at him – although she was tellingly silent at the current time. Even she was disappointed in him, it seemed.

Really, he'd failed _everyone_ with his actions yesterday, but she and the princess most of all.

What made the whole thing even worse in his eyes was that in every life, they were what kept him going, kept him determined and pushing, even when his strength had all but faded away. Without the two of them, he might have folded by now and left this world behind for some other one, far enough away that Hyrule's plight would never reach him when the people were inevitably faced with Ganon once more.

But of course, he could never actually do that, _would_ never do that even if such a chance were offered to him. He would neverleave the princess to face such an enemy alone, anyway, and thus, he was forever trapped by the duty to face the demon king in every incarnation, and somehow defeat him. Fi was his closest companion in said duty, followed immediately by the princess. Zelda wasn't always able to help him directly, but she always, always tried.

In _this_ life, however, she was very much the warrior goddess, her skill with weapons both beautiful and terrible to watch. Whether as herself, Princess Zelda of Hyrule, or as Sheik of the Sheikah tribe, she was a gifted and dangerous opponent.

And unlike he himself, the young man scowled, more and more disgusted by his failure the longer he thought about it, _she_ didn't get cocky about her skills with weaponry and her battle prowess. _She_ didn't let her head swell as she led the fight against first Cia's machinations, and now Ganon's return, as well. She was deadly and completely focused on the goal, and wouldn't let herself be distracted or become a burden because she got caught up in the fight and the glory, and forgot to watch her back. Forgot to pay attention to her surroundings, her senses, as he had.

He was a warrior, had always been a warrior. He was a master with most weapons and styles of combat, and there were very few beings, _if any_, that could truly defeat him in a head to head battle. But he'd forgotten that he wasn't invincible despite all that, especially once he'd held the Master Sword in his hand. There was such a rush under his skin every time he drew the divine weapon, all the _power_ that she contained within the slim blade she'd been bound to slipping sweetly into his mind, and flooding his body with seemingly unending vigor.

Yesterday, her soaring silver voice and eagerness to be drawn against their enemies had bewitched his soul, and he'd rushed into the fray, impatient to face the dark sorceress that was the ultimate cause of the current situation. He'd been determined to defeat her before she could get anywhere close to his princess, and so without a thought to the danger he was putting _himself_ in, he'd gone for what, in the end, had been nothing more than bait for her ruse.

The moment he'd swallowed it, Cia had ripped his heart out.

She had driven the darkness that all beings had - to one degree or another - from his soul and into the light of day for all to see, and the moment he'd seen the dark Links take form, he'd felt a thorough caution not attributable to this lifetime alone. He'd _recognized _them... he had seen them in different lives, fought them more than once, he _knew _it. And yet he _still _hadn't seen the true danger he was in, hadn't seen through Cia's plan, had acted as though he were invincible, unbeatable even by a dark version of himself.

That was just as the sorceress had surmised that he would. She had seen his dark side as it truly was, those parts of himself that shamed him, that he'd buried in the deepest pit in his soul so no one could _ever_ find them.

_So much for that, _he thought bitterly, _she sure didn't seem to have a problem finding it, did she? _

He just wished _he_ could recall those previous encounters he'd had with the dark Links, because it would be really nice to know if he had to worry about more of them popping up now that Cia had stolen that darkness from him. Could it be used to harm the princess? Of course it could, and the very thought that_ any _part of him, no matter what it was, could harm her in any way made him feel sick all the way to his very soul. Unfortunately, he hadn't yet remembered his past lives in any real, immediate way that would be a benefit – if he ever would - he'd just had vague impressions and fleeting flashes to taunt him with places he'd once been, faces he'd once known.

And someone he still – _always_ \- loved.

Zelda.

Momentarily distracted from his angst at the realization once more of his true feelings for her, he flushed, as he'd been doing lately whenever he saw her, much to his dismay. He felt like he had two left feet and a numb mouth when she was anywhere in his vicinity, and Proxi had noticed his reaction and taken to teasing him about it.

He'd always had a yearning for something that was just out of reach, _just _the other side of consciousness, of awareness, and his inability to figure out what that something was had often frustrated him through the years. That was, until he'd seen her face that fateful day, the day of the invasion. Oh, then, _then_ he'd known that he'd been missing some_one - _her - though he hadn't truly understood it. All he'd felt in that moment was the desperate desire, the inexplicable _need_ to forever protect her from all harm.

It wasn't until yesterday that he'd actually _understood_ it, understood just exactly who _she_ was, who _he_ was... who they were to each other_._ Then he'd known that he would spend all his lifetimes protecting her, just as he'd wished. What a happy realization that had been...

… until he'd promptly turned around and failed in that same duty. _He'd failed, and she and their other friends and allies had been forced to risk their lives to save __him__!_ It was supposed to be _his _job to protect and defend _them! _How much more of a failure could one person be?

The thing was, he considered tiredly, he'd always been talented in the disciplines of weaponry and combat, which was why he'd chosen to go to Hyrule Castle and enter the army to begin with. He just clicked with it, had felt a bone-deep connection to the art of the warrior since the first time he'd seen someone pick up a practice sword and swing it.

Now, knowing what he did of his past lives as the goddess' chosen hero, he wasn't surprised that he'd connected again with weapons of all types, and chosen to - once more - become a knight. It was the only service he could give to Hyrule, and in the end, he couldn't begrudge the choices that had been made so many eras ago, because he _still_ loved his home and people with all his heart. He could never stand idly by and watch them be razed by the fires and blades of their ancient enemy. And that wasn't even counting his reverent and affectionate feelings for his goddess, his princess. He would suffer a thousand deaths if it would save her even one, for no reward but a smile.

_And yet..._

He scowled, and his mind circled back to his monumental failure once again.

_How can I expect the princess to ever trust me now, after my failure yesterday? _

The thought hurt, and he swallowed heavily as he acknowledged that she had no reason to... but he couldn't stand the thought of being sent away from her, even though he'd no right to feel that way. Indeed, if she did end up turning away from him, it would be his own fault, his own mistake that cost him her favor. There was - and would be - no one else to blame but himself.

Even knowing that, he still hoped she would allow him to stay.

So far she had not summoned him to take him to task over his actions – neither had Impa, for that matter - but he couldn't decide whether that was a good thing, or not.

Oh, he was certain that sooner or later something _would_ be said on the subject, but-

"There you are," a soft voice interrupted Link's degenerating thoughts, and he instantly stiffened, his hand going to his sword that fast. But he just as quickly checked the motion as he recognized the voice, though now his thoughts were fragmenting because it was the very woman he'd just been thinking about that had interrupted his unpleasant reverie – Zelda herself. "I'd wondered where you'd gotten to, but Impa told me you'd requested first watch, and directed me here."

He stood and sketched her a quick bow, trying to hide his reddening cheeks at her proximity. Guilt aided him in his cause, and his flush ebbed away. He cleared his throat.

"Yes, highness. I had – have – a great deal on my mind, and knew I would be unable to sleep until much later, if at all," he said respectfully, his voice low and soft.

Link shifted uncomfortably as she watched him for what seemed several very long seconds, her face unreadable and giving nothing of her mood away. But then she smiled at him, and every thought in his head simply vanished, leaving him stuck on that beautiful, almost ageless expression and unable to summon any real intelligence out of the morass inside his mind.

"Uh, was t-there something you needed from me, highness?" he finally managed, mostly coherently, anyway.

Zelda laughed quietly in deference to the late hour and their circumstances, and absolutely captivated, Link could do nothing but stare at her.

She _glowed_, a low but luminous glimmer that only underpinned her divine nature and soul, and Link didn't care what anyone said, what priests or sages or anyone else thought – Zelda _was_ Hylia, and not for one minute did he believe that she would never be Hylia again. Someday, in some far-flung epoch, she would return to the Sacred Realm in triumph, and once more take over her role as the goddess of time. He had always believed that, he found, as he felt that knowledge settle inside him. Always.

"Be at ease, Link," she finally replied, a little bemused by his stammered reply. "I merely wished to see if you would like to join me in watching the stars for a little while, now that your turn on guard is up. It's a perfect night for it." She gestured up at the clear, gorgeous night skies with one small hand, and Link rather disjointedly forced himself to look away from her.

_Is it really going to be so easy? _She didn't seem to be angry with him at all, and he couldn't understand _why. _

But she was waiting for a reply, so he set his confusion aside. "I would be honored, highness."

It was all he could really say. Who would turn down such a request from their princess? Although he felt unworthy to even kiss the ground she walked on, he could deny her nothing – _would _deny her nothing, ever.

He sat down gingerly a little away from the spot she'd chosen, figuring she wouldn't want to be that close to him, when, to his surprise, she moved with him. Only once she was bumping shoulders with him did she relax.

Link, on the other hand, was frozen stiff, not sure what to do with her so close. In his deepest heart he wanted her far closer still, but that desire was buried as far down as it could be, because it was entirely inappropriate and he knew it, their past lives notwithstanding.

That knowledge hurt more than anything else ever would. He could not be with her as he truly wanted, as he _always _wanted, he could only offer his protection, and nothing more.

Her sigh broke through his painful thoughts and he looked over, dreading what he might find on her face. But to his complete surprise she was smiling – and she was directing it at _him,_ of all people.

He blinked. _What_? _Why is she looking at me like that?_ It was a warm, joyous, affectionate expression_, _but alsointense and searching, though he had no idea what she was looking for.

Whatever it was, she shouldn't really be out here like this, with him. It was wrong, despite his wishes to the contrary. He was _not_ worthy.

"Your highness, shouldn't you be resting?" he finally managed past the mental and emotional turmoil boiling inside. "It is quite late, and we've a long march ahead of us later this morn. That's not to mention any battles we might be forced into, as well."

Fully aware of the tension and strain Link was under, both from the war and all they'd learned about their pasts yesterday, Zelda had decided to corner her Hero and talk everything out before he could get any wild, harebrained ideas – because he would if given half the chance, and she knew it.

She would not be swayed from her goal by anyone – not even him.

"You've remembered for yourself, haven't you?"

That blunt acknowledgment of their history on her part eased Link's heart for a moment, and he could feel the obstruction at the back of his throat tentatively loosen its hold on him.

"Some," he answered quietly.

That seemed to please Zelda, but there must have been something in his expression that gave his continuing discomfort away, because she began to frown a little.

"What is it that darkens your heart, Link?" she asked directly, though gently, the tender, even loving look in her eyes melting his heart and all his resistance. She reached up and touched his shoulder, and the heart in question panged painfully.

"Highness, it's really not – I mean, I'm just another soldier in your army, not someone you should waste your time on," he murmured miserably, wanting nothing more than to reach out and pull her into his arms and keep her there _forever_. But he was just another mortal amongst a world full, so he tried to convince her that she had more important things she could be doing, better people she could be spending her time with, even now, while they were at war. "It's not, not _appropriate _for you to be seen with me like this. I am, ultimately, a servant, and you are-" he broke off as she held a slim hand up and shook her head.

"Stop right there. I do not wish to hear another word of that nonsense_. _ I will not be dictated to by anyone - not even you - especially about who I can speak to, befriend-" her voice softened, then, as she finished, "-or even love. From now on, Link, I am only Zelda to you, no matter the company... or the circumstances."

A little stunned by her very direct approach, he tried to fumble his way into some kind of coherent answer, but she just shook her head with a (rather questionable) grin.

"We've known each other and been best friends - and lovers - since long before there was a 'Hyrule' to worry over. Your place in my heart hasn't changed even a little in all that time, and it never will. Because of that, I've no intention of wasting any of what time we have in this particular life pandering to the mostly ridiculous societal 'proprieties' you were about to mention. And that's why I came out here, tonight – because I knew the mess your mind would be in about it all, and I felt this was probably the best chance we were going to get to settle where we stand with each other. So, to return to my original query... What is it that's darkening your heart, my love?"

The young Hero's eyes fell away from the radiant woman sitting so closely, trying not to let her see just how much was eating at him. But this was Zelda, and he shouldn't have been so surprised she could tell, because she was right – they'd been best friends _and_ lovers since the first time they'd grown up together on that island in the sky, who even _knew_ how many ages ago now.

"Link?" she prompted, when he didn't answer.

"It's... nothing, really," he finally responded with a self-deprecating shrug. "I... suppose I just needed time to think about everything."

She nodded, not at all surprised. It was... a lot to take in. "Finding out why we were so drawn to each other at first sight... why we loved each other even then, when we'd only just met... it definitely wasn't anything I was expecting to learn," she chuckled. "But I am so very thankful that it happened, because now I _remember_ why, and the memories are sweet and intoxicating - like the finest of wines."

To the young man's eternal horror, he blushed deeply at how easily she'd said all that – _those_ words_ -_ how she'd picked them right out of his mind and heart without any difficulty at all, and Zelda dissolved in soft giggles.

By now he was completely lost, the discussion having been not at all what he'd thought it would be, so he shook his head, as if to clear it of a great deal of ringing, and finally settled on a confused_,_ "Highness?" in response to her lightly-spoken words.

"Link," she insisted softly, "I will not answer to an ultimately unimportant title from you. Call me by my _name_."

It was silent for a moment as they just looked at each other, at everything there was between them over so _very_ many lifetimes... and then Zelda smiled, a little sultry, a little shy, and Link would have immediately done _anything she asked_ just to see that smile again.

"I want you to know that you need not fear that we will be separated by anyone's possible disapproval of you, any demand that I court and marry elsewhere. I will give my heart and my hand where _I_ please, without question."

Link blanched. "Married? _Now?!_" he asked, voice a little higher than normal and eyes wide, more and more blindsided by this whole conversation the longer it went on. Had he fallen asleep while on watch?

She wrinkled her nose as she considered the matter further, and then went on as though he hadn't even spoken with a grin. "Well, technically, I suppose you could say that we're already wedded, considering the many times we've been through the pledging in our past lives," she mused thoughtfully. "Still, it's always considered a good omen when the hero and the princess marry, and those kinds of things keep the people happy. I suppose we will just have to suffer through yet another ceremony, love. And no, of course not right _now_. We _do _have Ganon and the rest of the rabble to still see off, you know. Once he's been sealed again, though," she grinned impishly as she ran a slender finger down the bridge of his nose, "you're mine."

With a dazed and lost expression, voice low and ragged with renewed shame, Link blurted, "B-but what about my failure yesterday in the Temple of Souls? Aren't you angry at me? I endangered myself and everyone else, and you saw what she did, the darkness that she pulled from inside me! How can you even bear to _look_ at me?"

And it was then that Zelda saw his pain, noticed the harsh self-condemnation in his eyes.

Knowing him, she supposed she should have seen that coming. But she'd been too caught up in the joy she'd felt when her memories of them - of their pasts and their futures - returned to her, and she finally understood _why_ she'd known she loved him from the first moment she'd seen him, to really think about anything else.

She reached up a hand and cupped his cheek, her thumb rubbing against his skin softly as she studied him, her heart simply melting as she took in the confusion and sadness in his eyes, the harsh condemnation of himself in his expression. So she did the only thing she could think of... she leaned in and kissed him tenderly, her heart simply overflowing with love for her perfectly imperfect Hero.

"No one's perfect, Link, not even what humans term gods," she said when she pulled back to look at him again, almost smiling despite the topic at the rather... well... _foolish _expression on his face from her small affection. "Do I really _need_ to remonstrate with you over the matter? From what I can see, you've punished _yourself_ for it more than enough, and I highly doubt you'll make the same mistake twice, will you?"

"_No_," he swore instantly, his expression set and somehow indomitable as he looked her squarely in the eye. "_Never_. Never, _ever_ again."

"And I believe you," Zelda replied, features soft with affection. "So that is the end of that matter, and good riddance to it. Now we may move on to more important things."

He stared at her for several seconds, as though he were trying to see the truth of her words in her eyes, and then he turned his upper body and practically _dragged_ her startled form into his arms. "Goddesses, _Zelda_," he rasped, his throat too tight with emotion to speak easily, "I've _missed you, _so_ much. _Even when I didn't know who or what I was missing, I ached for want of it, and hated myself for somehow having forgotten something or someone that was so important to me. When I saw you that first day, standing on the wall and staring at me with shock, I knew what it was I'd been missing, though I hadn't a clue how it was possible to miss someone you'd only just seen for the first time."

"And now?" she asked, welcoming his embrace. "Now that you know?"

To her surprise, Link suddenly pulled out of her arms and looked very guilty; he flushed and dropped his gaze. His voice was soft but filled with shame - yet somehow, despite that, unapologetic.

"Now that I know, I can only be _glad _that Demise cursed us so long ago... for if he hadn't, I would never have seen you again after we'd finally passed on from that first life, and there isn't enough courage in _creation_ for me to ever be able to endure eternity without you."

Zelda _beamed _at him, to his surprise, then squirmed her way back into his arms and stretched out her neck enough to press a light kiss to his chin. Then she laid her head against his chest, and the two stayed that way for some time, Link still in shock and trying to take it all in, and Zelda perfectly content to be in his arms once more, relaxed by the comforting sound of his strongly beating heart. She had never felt safer in this lifetime than she did in those moments – with the kingdom in turmoil, Hyrule Castle occupied by the enemy, and she and her army dispossessed and hunted in their own lands. But she was unafraid, because she knew that as long as Link was with her, she would be as safe as it was ever going to be possible for her to be, considering who she was.

"I thought you'd be angry at me for thinking that way, and even more for saying it."

It was the first thing that had been said in a little while, and Zelda pulled away, her own features wearing a surprised expression this time.

"Whyever would you think that?"

"Well, it's selfish to wish for something like that, isn't it? I mean, if we'd defeated Ganon in the beginning, so many lives would have been spared throughout the ages since," he pointed out, beginning to frown as he really thought about it.

The princess absolutely melted at how big a heart her Hero really had.

"It's a moot point, love," she breathed softly. "There was no way we could have defeated him fully then, as we still cannot. So the fact that you feel that way inside changes nothing – but it _does_ let me know how much you love me, and I could never condemn you for that." Her gaze went far away, then. "There is little I also wouldn't give, to remain by your side forever," she admitted solemnly, her voice hushed and a little tentative for the first time that night.

Link was dumbfounded. He had not expected that, not at all. "I don't understand," he shook his head, brow furrowed. He had assumed that her people as a _group_ would always be more important to her than just one of them. Because truthfully, in the end, with everything else wiped away, he was nothing more than yet another one of her people.

"Everyone has someone that they care for more than any other, that they would give everything – their life, their very _soul_ – for, even I. Someone to protect. A mother, father, brother, sister, a best friend... a lover," she finished softly, her gaze now gone ageless and wise, loving and benevolent, divine and forgiving – the eyes of the goddess.

Spellbound, Link could do nothing but watch her and take in her words. _She's that for me. A best friend... _he flushed helplessly again, to his continuing embarrassment _… a lover. My someone to protect; her, above any other. Yes... _

He sighed. _She's right, though I still feel a little guilty. I probably always will, and her, too. I would bet anything I own that despite her wisdom, she still feels some guilt, somewhere. She wouldn't be who I know she is, if she didn't. _

"I can't help but wonder about something," Link began, eyes locked with hers. When she nodded at him encouragingly, he went on. "Why me? I mean... why did you choose me, Your Grace?" he phrased deliberately, letting her know that he was speaking to her divine soul. "I'm just another human amongst many – I will never be your equal. Even now, as you wear mortal skin as the princess of Hyrule, I'm nowhere near to being good enough."

Zelda stared disbelievingly at him. Then she blinked several times in rapid succession as she took in what he'd just said. And then she burst out laughing, and had to cover her mouth with both hands to muffle the outburst. Her luminous blue eyes, however, absolutely _shone _with affection and mirth.

"Oh, Link. Your humility does you credit, but you cannot see what I can – what so very many others also see. Over the course of all your lifetimes, many sages, royals, and even deities have bowed before you, heaped honors unmatched by any other upon you. You may have a mortal body, but the power and righteousness contained within your soul has awed even those that dwell in the Sacred Realm. No mortal or immortal that has ever lived can say the same. In the end, no one else could ever _be _my equal but you. As for anything else, all that matters is that I love you, and you love me. What more reason do I need?"

Not quite fully swayed by her words, Link searched her eyes, then began speaking slowly, feeling his way through his thoughts and the questions he was asking rather cautiously.

"In the beginning... when you were still Hylia, why did you choose me as your champion? I mean, from what little I've remembered of that life, by the time the demon king marched on our ancestors, I'd been imprisoned for years. I was much weakened; I'd been unable to keep myself in fighting trim, stuck down in a tiny cell with no room to allow any serious attempt at conditioning. It was inevitable that I would fail and fall."

"Fail?" Zelda asked, wrinkling her nose at him, a little offended on his behalf. _I cannot believe the low opinion he has of himself... although, it might just be because of what happened yesterday. He's still feeling unworthy. _She exhaled heavily. _My poor love... he's been through so much, over all his lifetimes – and there is still so much more to come, _she acknowledged hollowly, the thought making her go cold.

Needing to move, as a thankfully small wound to one leg had begun to ache, Zelda stood up with one contemplative glance down at her hero. For a moment she stilled, trying to fight off a decidedly amused affection at the small pout that had settled itself firmly on his lips when she'd moved away from him. _Drat him! _she thought inwardly. _The man's a menace!_

But the slight break was enough to hush her previous thoughts of all that was still to come, of other lives and trials, and the pain that he would suffer for them. She sighed. _There's enough left still to come in __this__ life to worry about for right now._

"Link, you didn't fail," she shook her head reprovingly at him as she lightly stretched her leg. "You succeeded. You saved our people from total extinction – how is that a failure? And you proved that your honor was the greatest in all the land with your final stand against the demon king, despite your fatal wounds. I very definitely remember _that_."

She turned away from him, needing a moment to gather herself. _Everything_ that she'd remembered so far about that first lifetime of his hurt. Looking up, she blinked back tears and stared at the sky, trying to contain her emotions. She had no intention of making _him _feel badly for somehow hurting _her_. That was how he would see it, anyway.

"That day," she forced her voice through a throat tight with pain, "I _begged_ the Three to give me some way to save you, before the battle began. As a goddess, I had never known the touch of fear, or even true grief, until I was forced to face the fact that you would not survive to see the setting of the sun on the seventh, and final day of the war. But then... oh, then," she whispered, "I drowned in it. It is true that I had planned to become mortal in order to use the power of the Triforce against the demon king, but in the end... in the end, I became mortal for love of _you. _You gave me such joy, and I wanted to be with you always_,_ wanted to be by your side forever."

Zelda closed her eyes, still trying to regain her equilibrium. This subject was now, and more than likely always would be, a difficult one for her, but even more so when he was boring a hole through her back with those ever-devoted eyes, forcing her to face her past decisions in regards to him. She began to feel cold, not from the nighttime air, but from guilt, and wrapped her arms around herself in response.

But then a hand opened lightly around her bicep from behind, and it was followed by Link's quiet voice, soft with reverence and the deepest affection. "Then I can only thank Demise yet again for cursing us as he did in the beginning, because without his interference, we would have been parted forever upon our deaths. Like I mentioned earlier, I can withstand anything... except the loss of you, Zel."

It took Zelda a minute, but when his choice of name finally penetrated her buzzing ears, she shrugged his arm away and turned sharply to face him, eyes hopeful. _Zel._ That had been his nickname for her, from her first incarnation as the mortal Zelda, and onward down through all the lifetimes they'd had together, as well.

"Link?"

All her worries vanished the moment their eyes met. It was a look that spelled forgiveness for the past, and an affirmation of his steadfast and continuing love and support through any and all trials or tribulations he was forced to find his way through to reach her.

"I've always understood, you know," he began softly. "And I've never blamed you for any part of my fate – in the end, _both _of our futures were hijacked by the demon king. It's _his _fault, all of it," he smiled warmly at her, sending shivers down her spine, "and I won't have you lay the blame upon yourself for what you were basically_ forced _to do to save our people from ruin. I don't regret or otherwise begrudge my allegiance to you, and the reward is certainly far more than worth it, besides."

It was Zelda's turn to look a little confused. "Reward?"

His smile softened, and he shook his head at her, his cheeks still rather red. "Your heart, Zel. I could never ask for anything more, don't want or need anything else. If that's all I ever gain in the exchange, then I will count myself blessed above all others, and be overjoyed for it."

Her eyes filled with tears, but she beamed at him through them, a bittersweet elation welling up within and spilling over with those aforementioned tears.

_Oh, Link... And you wonder why I love you so._

"My sweet, sweet Hero," she whispered as he tugged her back into his arms once more. "I will _always_ choose you."

The two stayed that way for a time, just reveling in the chance to be so close again. It had, after all, been who knew how many hundreds or thousands of years since the last time they'd lived, and they had been parted upon death, as they always were. Unlike her mortal lifetimes, however, which she had regained at least some memories of, those in-between times in the spirit world remained elusive and shadowy. Though she was certain that they were together in death as in life, she couldn't seem to retrieve any memories of those times. So perception-wise, it felt as though it had been literal ages since they'd been able to speak, to touch... and then there was all the time apart since they'd been born into this lifetime, as well.

But eventually, they were forced to pull apart once again – both were almost swaying with weariness by that point, and it was time they each sought what rest they could get before they were forced to move on a little later in the morning.

Link smiled at her once they had separated, and offered her his arm. "May I see you to your tent, milady?" he asked gallantly with a light smile, figuring that there'd been enough heavy discussion – and thought - for the evening already.

It was time to let that all go. His goddess had pretty much commanded it, anyway, and who was he to question her? Deep down, he knew he'd always feel some shame for what had happened yesterday, but maybe he wasn't a complete failure – he'd sworn that the mistakes he'd made would never be repeated, and he meant it.

Zelda grinned back at him, joy sparkling in her eyes, making her glow even more, at least to him.

"I would be delighted, my Hero. Always."

Together, they turned and walked away, never noticing the tiny fairy light that twinkled merrily behind them. Proxi giggled mischievously into her hands, her light faintly pink. She was very satisfied with what she'd overheard, because she really cared about her friend and protector, and wanted him to be happy. And oh, was he going to be!

Despite that, she wouldn't hesitate to tease him mercilessly about the matter. That was what he got for forgetting that she was around, after all!

_Bet he won't do it again..._

The small pink light faded out, and with a tiny chime, Proxi darted after the couple, slipping quietly just inside the Master Sword's sheath and curling up to sleep, without either Link or Zelda even noticing.

A cool wind blew past, whistling a lonely tune for a single moment as it stirred up a bit of dust, and then all fell still once more as it also darted away, bound for other places... and perhaps even other times.

_Fin_

A/N: So I've been working on this particular piece for over a freakin' _year. _No matter what I did, I just could not be happy with it, and I'd inevitably end up practically re-writing it every time I opened the file. But I've finally just had enough, so here it is and this is how it will stay, for good or ill.


End file.
